Walking beam furnace control

Claim 2

A control system for a walking beam furnace comprising, in combination: a walking beam mechanism for moving work pieces a desired distance longitudinally of the furnace; a charging mechanism for positioning work pieces a desired distance into the furnace; walking beam control means for selectively controlling the longitudinal movement of said walking beam mechanism; charging control means for controlling the longitudinal movement of said charging mechanism to thereby charge a work piece into a desired position in said furnace; and comparator means operative between both of said control means for comparing the charge space available in the furnace with the size and spacing of the work pieces to be charged, and for regulating the distance of longitudinal movement of said charging mechanism in accordance with the available charge space.

Claim 3

A control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said charging control means includes means limiting operation of said charging mechanism to operate only when the charge space available in the furnace is substantially equal to or greater than the size and spacing of the work to be charged.

Claim 4

A control system for a walking beam furnace comprising, in combination: a walking beam mechanism for moving work pieces a desired distance longitudinally of the furnace; a charging mechanism for pushing work pieces a desired distance into the furnace; walking beam control means operative with said walking beam mechanism and selectively settable for controlling the distance of longitudinal movement of said walking beam mechanism; charging control means operative with said charging mechanism and selectively settable for controlling the distance of longitudinal movement of said charging mechanism to thereby push a work piece into the furnace in the desired spaced relationship with the previous work piece; comparator means operative with both of said control means for comparing available charge space with the size of the work to be charged plus the desired spacing between said work pieces, and for regulating said charging control means in accordance with the available charge space such that the charging mechanism advances a work piece any additional distance required to obtain said spacing; and said charging control means including means operative to limit operation of the charging mechanism to charge work into the furnace only when the available charge space in the furnace is substantially equal to or greater than the size of the work to be charged plus the desired spacing between successive work pieces.

Claim 5

A control system for a walking beam furnace comprising, in combination: a walking beam mechanism for moving work pieces a desired distance longitudinally of the furnace; a charging mechanism for pushing work pieces a desired distance into the furnace; walking beam control means operative with said walking beam mechanism and selectively settable for controlling the distance of longitudinal movement of said walking beam mechanism; charging control means operative with said charging mechanism and selectively settable for controlling the distance of longitudinal movement of said charging mechanism to thereby push a work piece into the furnace in the desired spaced relationship with the previous work piece; comparator means operative with both of said control means for comparing available charge space with the size of the work to be charged plus the desired spacing between said work pieces, and for regulating said charging control means in accordance with the available charge space such that the charging mechanism advances a work piece any additional distance required to obtain said spacing; and said charging control means including means operative to limit operation of the charging mechanism to charge work into the furnace only when the available charge space in the furnace is substantially equal to or greater than the size of the work to be charged plus the desired spacing between successive work pieces.

Claim 6

A control system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said walking beam control means includes pulse generating means for transmitting pulses equivalent to the longitudinal movement of said walking beam mechanism, which pulses are fed at least to said comparator means; said charging control means including pulse counter means for receiving pulses from said comparator means and a pulse generator for transmitting pulses to said pulse counter means, said pulse counter means transmitting pulses to said charging mechanism to thereby push work pieces into said furnace in accordance with the available charge space.